How Project Managers Can Keep Track of Project Health

Anyone managing multiple projects simultaneously knows the challenge of constantly switching between task lists, Gantt charts, emails, and meetings. Information is often scattered, decisions need to be made quickly and yet, the overall picture can still remain unclear.

This is exactly where the new InLoox Project Dashboard comes in. It brings together essential metrics on project health and status in one central location, creating a reliable foundation for daily project management.

^{Image: The InLoox Project Dashboard. © InLoox, Inc.}

Contents

• Which Widgets are Standard in the Project Dashboard?
• Key Figures for Greater Transparency in Task Management
• Project Status in Real Time: Time, Effort, and Burndown Chart
• Always Keep Budgets and Profitability Under Control
• Risk Management with the Risk Matrix
• Why is a Project Dashboard Indispensable?
• Which Permissions do InLoox Users Need for the Project Dashboard?
• Functions and Customization in the Project Dashboard

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Which Widgets are Standard in the Project Dashboard?

The following widgets are included in the Project Dashboard by default:

• Tasks by Status
• Tasks per Person
• Total Number of Tasks
• Number of Open Tasks
• Total Remaining Effort in Hours
• Burndown Chart with Open Tasks and Scope Line
• Actual vs. Planned Costs
• Actual vs. Planned Benefits
• Risk Matrix

Key Figures for Greater Transparency in Task Management

A well-structured task management system is the cornerstone of every successful project. The InLoox Dashboard provides a clear overview of the current project status. A quick glance at the “Tasks by Status” widget shows how far the team has progressed and whether tasks are starting to pile up. The “Tasks per Person” widget helps identify unbalanced workloads early on and highlights tasks that have not yet been assigned and therefore lack accountability.

This enables project managers to assign tasks strategically, balance team workloads, and redistribute tasks if needed before bottlenecks occur.

The total number of tasks and the number of open tasks complement these insights. These straightforward but meaningful indicators provide an excellent snapshot of project progress and are ideal for daily stand-ups or status meetings.

^{Image: The widgets Tasks by Status, Tasks per Person, Task items (total) and Open tasks in the InLoox project dashboard. © InLoox, Inc.}

Project Status in Real Time: Time, Effort, and Burndown Chart

Delays are among the most common risks in project management, which makes it crucial to maintain a transparent, real-time view of remaining effort. The Project Dashboard shows exactly how many planned hours are still needed to reach the project goal.

As with unassigned tasks, a low number of remaining hours paired with a high number of open tasks should raise a red flag. This often indicates that effort estimates are missing for some tasks, making the project plan unrealistic.

The Burndown Chart is especially valuable. It visualizes open tasks in relation to the planned project scope, allowing project managers to see immediately whether the team is on track and working through tasks steadily, or whether progress has stalled. In the worst case, the chart can reveal scope creep — a growing project scope — if the burndown turns into a burnup.

These real-time insights make the dashboard an indispensable tool for continuously monitoring project progress.

^{Image: The widgets Effort remaining and the burndown chart in the InLoox project dashboard. © InLoox, Inc.}

Always Keep Budgets and Profitability Under Control

Effective project controlling also means keeping a close eye on budgets. The gauge charts in the InLoox Project Dashboard compare actual vs. planned costs and actual vs. planned benefits using a clear traffic light system. Green indicates that everything is on track, while red signals the need for action when actual costs exceed planned costs. This typically happens when recorded working hours surpass planned efforts, pushing the project into the red.

These figures are automatically calculated by InLoox based on project financials: planned costs are derived from the estimated effort in tasks, while actual costs are calculated from logged working hours.

The benefits gauge chart also provides an instant overview of whether planned revenues are likely to be met. It can reveal, for example, whether invoices for completed work have not yet been issued or paid by the client.

^{Image: The widgets Actual vs. Planned Costs and Actual vs. Planned Benefits in the InLoox project dashboard. © InLoox, Inc.}

This concise, real-time presentation enables project managers to spot financial deviations quickly and take corrective action in good time. It reduces budget risks and increases planning accuracy, especially in client-billed projects. Real-time updates give it a decisive edge over traditional Excel reports or separate tools.

Risk Management with the Risk Matrix

No project is entirely free of risks. What matters is identifying and assessing them early, then communicating them transparently. The dashboard’s risk matrix plots potential risks by impact (X-axis) and probability (Y-axis). It shows which risks have been identified and visualizes them on a scale from green — low impact and low probability — to red — high impact and high probability.

This clear prioritization makes it easier to discuss potential measures with stakeholders without getting lost in details.

^{Image: The widget Risks in the InLoox project dashboard. © InLoox, Inc.}

Why is a Project Dashboard Indispensable?

A modern project dashboard is far more than just a visually appealing reporting tool. It is a central management instrument that consolidates data that would otherwise have to be gathered manually from different sources. InLoox automatically updates the dashboard with every project data change, ensuring the information is always current without any extra effort.

Project managers benefit from:

• Real-time visibility into tasks, resources, time, and budget
• A solid decision-making foundation for effective project controlling
• Clearer stakeholder communication through visual transparency
• Increased day-to-day efficiency thanks to centralized information

Whether for operational control, status reporting, or strategic decision-making, the dashboard provides the transparency needed to manage projects successfully.

Which Permissions do InLoox Users Need for the Project Dashboard?

InLoox secures access to project data through permissions. You can define who can read or edit which project data, and whether individuals hold these rights globally within the InLoox account or through project roles or departmental assignments.

To access the Project Dashboard, users need at least the “Read Project Dashboard” permission, either as a global user right, a role-based right, or a departmental right.

In addition, the following read permissions are required to view data in individual widgets:

• Read Projects
• Read Tasks
• Read Time
• Read Financials

If figures are missing from a specific widget, it means the user does not have the required read permission for that area. For example, if the Actual vs. Planned Costs widget is empty, the “Read Financials” permission is missing.

If the entire dashboard displays no data, the “Read Project Dashboard” permission is missing.

To make changes to the Project Dashboard, users must have the “Edit Project Dashboard” permission.

» Read the help article on the InLoox permission settings.

Functions and Customization in the Project Dashboard

With the “Edit Project Dashboard” permission, users can not only adjust the standard widgets but also add additional widgets, rearrange their layout, or remove them. These changes initially apply only to the specific dashboard being edited and can easily be undone.

You can also set your customized Project Dashboard as the new organizational default for all projects in your InLoox account and revert to the standard dashboard at any time.

Individual widgets can be exported to Excel or downloaded as image or PDF files. The entire Project Dashboard can also be downloaded or uploaded as a .json file to share it with others.

» Read the help article on the InLoox dashboard functionalities.

Measuring Project Health Has Never Been Easier

With the InLoox Project Dashboard, project managers have full visibility into project status, budgets, risks, and progress in real time. It simplifies project controlling, strengthens management capabilities, and makes project performance measurable and transparent.